Even carpet in good condition may be acandidate for removaland replacement with hardwood flooring.
Learn whether replacing carpet with hardwood is right for you and for your home.
Occasional cleaning with acarpet cleaneror visits by acarpet cleaning companywill help to deep-clean the carpet.
LARISA SHPINEVA / Getty Images
Even so,hardwood flooring is easier to deep-cleanthan carpet.
Hardwood flooring has no pile or fibers that trap dust and allergens.Sweeping and dry-moppingare best for hardwood flooring.
Tip
Well-sealed hardwood flooring in good condition can be lightly damp-mopped but neversteam cleaned.
Increase Floor’s Lifespan
Carpet generallylasts up to 15 years, even if it’s well-maintained.
Solid hardwood flooring can last 50 years, and even up to 100 years.
This means that wood flooring can last as long as three to six times as long as carpet.
Improve Home’s Resale Value
Hardwoodflooring attracts homebuyers.
Carpet is sometimes installed to mask problems with the underlying floor covering.
Use pliers if you’ve got the option to’t grab the pile.
The carpet can be put back in place, though it will not be as tight as before.
In some cases, carpet is a better choice than transitioning to hardwood flooring.
Soundproofing
True floor-to-floor soundproofing is achieved by methods such as separating surfaces.
But carpet and padding will substantially reduce noise between floors and muffle sounds within a room.
In dry basements, carpet warms up the space and makes it more comfortable and habitable.
Hardwood flooring can be softened with runners and area rugs.
It’s possible to add radiant heating under hardwood flooring, but this does represent another expense.
Plus, a system of wood sleepers must be built below the hardwood to accommodate the radiant heating elements.
Installed new carpetcosts about 60 percentof the cost of installed hardwood flooring.
Moisture
After minor flooding or dampness, carpet will fare much better than hardwood flooring.
Neither hardwood flooring nor carpet are the best choices for damp areas.
For that, choose resilient flooring such asvinylorceramictile.
Hardwood flooring can be irreparably damaged by water.
Carpet and padding can be installed directly on concrete.
Hardwood flooring would be difficult to install on top of the carpet.
Even low-pile carpet is not an adequate substrate for hardwood flooring.
So, the carpet, padding, tack strips, transitions, and all elements must be removed.
Common areas are living rooms, hallways, great rooms, offices, and dining areas.
Private areas are bedrooms.
Hardwood flooring can beinstalled in kitchens, as long as there are no ongoing moisture problems.
Because kitchens experience moisture,water-resistant flooringsuch as resilient flooring or tile is often installed here, too.
Insert a piece of cardboard between the pry bar and the wall to protect the wall.
Start at a Corner
Start at a corner of the carpet to begin removing it.
Grab the carpet pile by hand or with the claw end of a hammer and peel up or back.
Use a utility knife and cut on the back of the carpet.
Remove Tack Strips
Slide the pry bar under the tack strips to remove them from the subfloor.
Wear safety glasses and thick gloves.
All tack strips must be removed.
Scrape Off Adhesive
Use a floor scraper to remove all remnants of carpet glue.
Even tacked carpet may have some glue near the center.
Plan the Installation
Plan the direction of the hardwood flooring.
Floorboards should be staggered.
Undercut Casings
Undercut door casings and trim.
Nail Down Flooring
Nail the flooring down to the substrate with the power-assisted nailer.
Provide an expansion gap around the perimeter.
Traditionally styled homes may be better suited to hardwood than to carpet.
You may desire the look, feel, and maintenance advantages of hardwood over carpet.
You must have the budget for hardwood flooring, too.
Houses tend to sell better with hardwood floors than with carpet.
One report indicates that 82 percent of potential homebuyers feel that hardwood floors are essential or desirable.
Added Home Value.National Wood Flooring Association.
The Health Benefits of Wood Floors.
National Wood Flooring Association.
Why You Shouldn’t Use a Steam Mop on Wood Floors.
Real Wood Real Life, Customer Outreach Toolkit.
National Wood Flooring Association.
What Home Buyers Really Want.
National Association of Home Builders.
How to Install Hardwood Floors Over Radiant Heat.
American Hardwood Information Center.
Repairing Floors from Water Damage to Prevent Mold Growth.University of Michigan Environment, Health and Safety.
Wood Flooring Installation Guidelines.National Wood Flooring Association.
Wood Floor Facts: Concrete Subfloors.
National Wood Flooring Association.
